We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Photocatalytic Degradation of Microplastics: Mechanism, Recent Developments, and Associated Threats
AI summary Read the abstract
This review covers photocatalytic degradation of microplastics, explaining how reactive oxygen species generated by semiconductor photocatalysts break down polymer chains, while also noting concerns about additive leaching and potentially toxic intermediate products.
Microplastics are ubiquitous emerging contaminants which poses severe threat to the environment. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are novel efficient technique for the elimination of such emerging contaminants. Photocatalysis is an AOP that is environment friendly, and can be used to convert microplastics to various degradation products. Photocatalytic degradation proceeds with the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative radicals leading to polymer degradation and ultimate mineralization.Some of the photocatalysts exhibited good performance in degradation of microplastics and doping of semiconductor photocatalysts with metals and non-metals was found to be beneficial.Leaching of additives, toxicity of intermediate products, carrier potential of degraded microplastics and nanotoxicity of photocatalysts are some of the threats posed by the photocatalytic degradation of microplastics. This bookchapter summarizes the degradation mechanism of microplastics using photocatalysts along with the recent developments in photocatalytic degradation of various plastics. Furthermore, the threats associated with photocatalytic degradation of microplastics are also discussed.
More Papers Like This
Photocatalytic strategy to mitigate microplastic pollution in aquatic environments: Promising catalysts, efficiencies, mechanisms, and ecological risks
AI summary Read the abstract
This review summarizes recent advances in photocatalytic degradation of microplastics, covering catalysts, mechanisms, and reactive oxygen species generation pathways. The authors call for more realistic photocatalytic materials, better mechanistic understanding of degradation intermediates, and quantitative ecological risk assessment of photocatalysis byproducts.
Photocatalytic Perception for Degradation of Macro- and Micro-plastics
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines photocatalytic approaches for degrading both macro- and micro-plastics, surveying semiconductor-based and other photocatalytic systems capable of breaking down persistent plastic polymers in aquatic and terrestrial environments. The paper evaluates the mechanisms, efficiency, and scalability of photocatalysis as a remediation technology alongside conventional plastic waste management strategies.
Photocatalytic Technologies for Transformation and Degradation of Microplastics in the Environment: Current Achievements and Future Prospects
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines photocatalytic technologies that use light-activated materials to break down microplastics in the environment. Various catalysts can generate reactive oxygen species that degrade plastic polymers into simpler, less harmful molecules. The authors assess the strengths and limitations of different photocatalytic approaches and highlight the need for scalable solutions that work under real-world environmental conditions.
Photocatalytic strategy to mitigate microplastic pollution in aquatic environments: Promising catalysts, efficiencies, mechanisms, and ecological risks
AI summary Read the abstract
This review paper examines photocatalysis as a strategy for degrading microplastics in aquatic environments, covering effective catalysts, degradation mechanisms, synergistic reactions, and catalyst modification approaches. The review also discusses the ecological risks posed by photocatalytic degradation intermediates and calls for more realistic testing materials and comprehensive risk assessment frameworks.
Countering microplastics pollution with photocatalysis: Challenge and prospects
AI summary Read the abstract
This review summarized the use of photocatalysis for degrading microplastics, covering catalyst types, reaction mechanisms, and operational parameters, and discussing challenges including the stability of highly polymerized plastics and prospects for scaling photocatalytic treatment to address environmental microplastic pollution.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.